Song of the Day: Ailee - Girl on Fire

I'm still alive. Been crazy busy lately. Just wanted to make a quick update in regards to my new fav song of the month.

Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire.

I'm going to post a cover by Ailee.

Song of the Day: Suh In Gook / Jung Eun Ji - All for You

This is a remake of the song originally sang by Cool.

Jung Eun Ji is a member of A-Pink.

Neither artists have any good songs imo.. but after watching this video.. they have pretty talented voices.

They both recently wrapped up shooing their drama "Reply 1997" which i heard got really good ratings.

Song of the Day: Muse - Madness

My boss introduced me to this song. Addicting and fun to sing along.

Ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma...

iPhone 5

I think sometime in July 2010 I was waiting for the much anticipated iPhone4 to come to Verizon. AT&T pretty much had a stronghold on the Apple products and i did not want to switch carriers. There were rumors that Verizon would get their hands on the device but after a few months of waiting it never happened. So, since i needed a smartphone - i ended up just getting a Motorola Droid X in August 2010.

Sometime in January 2011, Verizon finally announced that they would indeed get the iPhone4 in their smartphone lineup. By this time I had to wait 1.5 years to upgrade my phone. :(

By the time i was able to upgrade my phone, iPhone4S had already come out but I figured i should wait for the iPhone5 since I wanted LTE. So the waiting game begins again. And so, after waiting a good 2 years - I finally upgraded to the iPhone 5. It arrived at my doorstep yesterday and I was pretty excited.

My first iPhone.

Pros:

1. Awesome feedback from the touch screen. Responsive and very accurate to the touch.
2. Screen is beautiful and full of colors. Retina display is amazing, but considering i can only compare it to the Motorola it's not saying much.
3. Front facing camera, i can take self portraits w/o having to guess if i'm taking a centered photo.
4. Facetime. Wow.. over wifi it's really awesome.
5. Speed - the phone is fast.
6. Speakers. The motorola had speakers on the back of the phone and it created problems when playing videos because i could not hear a damn thing. iPhone has speakers on the bottom of the phone and it's loud.
7. Battery life. It was at 70% 18 hours ago. It's currently at 24% with heavy usage.

Cons:

1. Phone is really thin. Sometimes when i try to pick it up from a flat table - it's hard. LOL. This makes me think i should get a case. But i hate cases cuz it makes the phone bulky and sometimes ugly. Ironic isn't it? I kinda understand why Samsung decided to curve their S3.
2. No widgets. I liked seeing a list of upcoming schedules on my phone.
3. Newsstand icon that doesn't seem to go away..
4. No Picasa Gallery. All my photos are there.. so i am stuck using the web browser version for now. Or, i need to switch to iClouds.


Overall the phone is great so far. There is def. more getting used to, but it's easy.

Song of the Day: GD - Crayon

You know you are getting old when you have no clue what the new buzz words are. WTH is Crayon referring to?

Little Gem's in the World

Always makes me smile when i see things like this.



She's going to make it.

It's too hot! + Cooking!

104 degrees right now. omg. look what the sun did to my Polo slippers. Anybody want naturally cooked toasty slippers? Cooked with 100% sun.

I've also been watching "Gordon.Ramsays.Ultimate.Cookery.Course" - and it's pretty good. He teaches you 10-20 minute recipes in less than 5 minutes. He also teaches it in a way for beginners.

Watching it makes me want to cook. I've always enjoyed cooking, but never had my own kitchen with correct ingredients to ever try real cooking with custom recipes. What I did learn from the show is that I first need to get the right equipment and be prepared. Things to buy:

1. Really nice frying pan. Most of the cooking is generally done here. It's important to not go cheap since you'll be using it very often.

2. Get some nice knives. Probably the second most important part of cooking is a nice set of knives. You need 3 basic knives. First, is the basic chopping knife. Second, is a smaller cutting knife for vegetables. Third, is a meet slicing knife which has rugged blades. Also need to remember to always sharpen the knife before each use to keep it sharp. Dull knives are dangerous and unproductive.

3. Cutting board. Have a large surface area and a dense cutting board so that it doesn't move around is important.

4. Fresh ingredients. Quality over quantity. The food will taste as good as the ingredients you put it in.

If you have torrent client go download the show:

http://eztv.it/shows/716/gordon-ramsays-ultimate-cookery-course/

Song of the Day: Baek Ah Yeon & Tae Yeon

Baek Ah Yeon, one of the winners of the Korean version of American Idol released her new album. I think her voice is pretty good, and very happy she fixed her teeth. Song is called "Sad Song".



Tae Yeon singing for the "To the Beautiful You" OST called "Closer".

Bjunkyard Visitors Breakdown

So who are all the visitors for Bjunkyard coming from?

Globally:

1 United States 52%
2 Indonesia 10%
3 Philippines 8%
4 Canada 7%
5 Malaysia 5%
6 South Korea 5%
7 Australia 4%
8 Singapore 3%
9 United Kingdom 3%
10 Thailand 3%

Indonesia.. who woulda though. Hi Indonesia ppl!

USA:

1 California 45%
2 New York 12%
3 Texas 7%
4 Illinois 7%
5 New Jersey 6%
6 Florida 6%
7 Michigan 6%
8 Massachusetts 4%
9 North Carolina 4%
10 Hawaii 3%

I probably shouldn't be surprised that NY is #2 considering the name of the site. But Texas and Illinois? Cool.

그 사람. 감사함니다. 사랑함니다.

그 사람 날 웃게 한 사람
그 사람 날 울게 한 사람
그 사람 따뜻한 입술로 내게
내 심장을 찾아준 사람

그 사랑 지울 수 없는데
그 사랑 잊을 수 없는데
그 사람 내 숨 같은 사람
그런 사람이 떠나가네요

그 사람아 사랑아 아픈 가슴아
아무것도 모른 사람아
사랑했고 또 사랑해서
보낼 수 밖에 없는 사람아
내 사랑아

내 가슴 너덜 거린데도
그 추억 날을 세워 찔러도
그 사람 흘릴 눈물이
나를 더욱더 아프게 하네요

그 사람아 사랑아 아픈 가슴아
아무것도 모르는 사람아
눈물 대신 슬픔 대신
나를 잊고 행복하게 살아줘
내 사랑아

우리삶이 다해서
우리 두눈 감을때 그때 한번 기억해

그 사람아 사랑아 아픈 가슴아
아무것도 모른 사람아
사랑했고 또 사랑해서
보낼 수 밖에 없는 사람아

내 사랑아 내 사랑아 내 사랑아

Diet Tip #7

Find motivation.

Be it a picture, or maybe someone you want to impress. Maybe you just want to look good for yourself. In any case, you will need a motivation to stick through it. It's hard not being able to eat junk food - or sleeping in.

My current motivation is something I encountered at 24 Fitness sauna. Two Asian guys walked in, and they were ripped. Probably 5% or less body fat. They were talking about food and sharing each other's diet tips - when one of them said:

"Doesn't your gf love Italian pasta? You should take her to this place downtown, they have awesome pasta."

"No, I'm never eating carbs and killing my diet. Not even for my GF."

Harsh? Maybe a little extreme. Cheating once in a while wont' kill you. But it was his determination and discipline that impressed me. He knows what he wants. He wants to stay ripped like a mother, so he won't eat carbs - or go to restaurants that will tempt him even for his GF.

When I feel like eating my Drunken Noodles from Thai BBQ - I always remember this guy and get the Chicken breasts out of the freezer. :)

Happy Dieting.

Walmart Employees..

Decided to start swimming again. It's hot, and the pool is just too enticing.

Went to Walmart today to buy some swimming goggles, since it's literally right next to 24 Fitness. I searched for a good 10 minutes, and could not find the Aquatic section of the store. So I finally grabbed an employee:

Me: "Where are the swimming goggles?"
Employee: "In the sporting goods section right behind you"
Me: I ask him to point, since there are like 5 isles
Employee: "It's behind you"

Then he just leaves. Rude. Oh well, i grab another girl employee standing right behind me.

Me: "Where are the swimming goggles?"
Employee: "Oh we stopped carrying those"
Me: "WTF? Walmart doesn't have swimming goggles?"
Employee: "Yeah, we got our last shipment in a few weeks ago, and we are no long ordering them for our store"
Me: "WTF"
Employee: "But they used to be in the back wall. We are sold out and out of stock now though"

So just to amuse my self, i went to the back wall where they used to be, and lone and behold - I find a bunch of scuba gear on the shelves, and 1 lone swimming goggles. It was basically the very last one. Lucky!

Remember that one scene from Indiana Jones, when he finds a treasure and he holds it in his hand in awe... yeah that was me at Walmart.

Thanks to the clueless employees. For $6.50/hour i guess you can't ask for much.

The goggles are pretty nice, and was only $12. My previous pair had a foam material around the eyes which tore apart from wear. These new ones have rubber around the eyes, and looks like were made with better quality materials. Stoked!

Motorola Droid X dying..

Time for a new phone! Last year, i dropped my phone. It happened in slow motion as I could picture my facial expression as the phone was being pulled towards the rocky asphalt by gravity. My foot reacted in time and blocked the phone from hitting the ground directly, but it bounced off and landed screen first a few feet away.

I thought to myself that i had saved the worst of it, but actually the screen had a complete crack across the lower portion. It's like those hairline cracks you see on car windshields. I was upset, but i could live with it, it didn't break the phone, and was just aesthetics.

About a month ago, I dropped it again, onto a tile floor, maybe 3 feet from the ground. Now it has a very noticeable black line running across the same area that cracked. My guess is that the screen inside the glass is now broke. The phone still works, but it feels like it's going to die any minute now.

I've been able to do my new every 2 upgrade since April but have just been holding off. Now that the iPhone 5 is likely around the corner, i just need to wait another month. Don't die on me PHONE!

Movie Review: 5 Year Engagement

Rating: 6/10.

Corny, yet watchable. One thing that the movie does try to convey is that you should never, EVER, EVER, move across the country for a girl. She will just break your heart and leave you for another guy.

Song of the Day: Hyuna - Oppa is My Style

I was really waiting for this video to come out. It was going to be a Hyuna version of Gangnam Style.

Mix feelings in terms of my expectations. Hyuna was great in the video, and she showed some cute/sexy. But WTF is with that voice. There are like hundreds of comments on YouTube just bashing the voice on this song.. and i agree.. it's annoying. I am going to go on a limb and say that it's not Hyuna's voice, or it was modified.

Still, i vote Hyuna as the best female kpop dancer. I've dubbed this song with the original song, and it's a lot better.

Cheap and Quick Way to Cable Organize

I bet the majority of the people here have desks with cables running behind their desk like this:



I even tied it with some zip ties, and it still looked horrible. After a few years, I got tired of it. Got myself two little items from Staples that cost no more than $10 total.



Velco wraps, and large binder clips. You use them to hold down the wires along side the top edges of your desk like this:



The final result?



All of the power cables, and router/speaker cables should run along together, and velcro'd together. Hopefully you have a 12 plug fused power outlet as well.

I've seen people do some crazy stuff, like use rain gutters, iKea baskets, and screwing binder clips under the desk - and i think that's going a little overboard. Clean desk is a clean desk.

Song of the Day: Norah Jones - Don't Know Why

Was watching "Ted" and reminded me of Norah Jones. Gosh this song reminds me of so many memories. Love this song.

Indian Summer and Life Updates

Summer is on full force right now, thank God for A/C. Love Cali weather.

Some updates on life.

Job

I changed my career path. No more corporate ladders and 8-5. I decided to take charge of my life with something more lucrative and flexible. I am now in the Real Estate Appraisal business. Got hooked up through my cousin and everything looks so promising. Currently I am studying hard to get licensed and learning at a very fast pace from my mentor.

This is quite a big change for me and most people are stunned when I tell them the news because they think appraisals is so different from a computer tech job. However, I am fortunate that my tech field was analytic's. It's almost the same concept when it comes to crunching numbers and justifying why you made certain adjustments. The hard part for me is learning the broad spectrum of Real Estate.

The #1 reason i chose to move to this profession was because I did not want to be stuck in a glass ceiling in the corporate world. There will always be a limit to how far you can climb. It's like a pyramid.. lots of low paying jobs at the bottom, and the good paying ones - only a certain amount of ppl get those. Plus in this economy what i have been noticing is good (smart) workers getting laid off because company's would rather pay a kid straight out of college that can most likely do the same work you do for half the salary. There is no such thing as job security anymore. Your logic of "I'm loyal to this company, so they will take care of me" no longer applies. It's all about numbers. Profit.

Appraisals is a bit different. It's like any other small business. You are an independent contractor and become your own boss. You are the CEO, CFO, CTO, etc. You are your own assistant, making your own schedules - handling priorities, and actually doing the job.

Most 8-5 workers have a linear mentality.

"How can I make the most amount of money, for the least amount of effort (work)."

When you work for yourself, it all changes and you need to think about time management.

"How can I make the most amount of money, with the time available to me."

For those of you that have no clue on what real estate appraisals is, in short, it's someone that tells you how much a house is worth doing comparative analysis in the properties market.

New Car / Traffic

The job requires me to drive a lot. Seriously, a lot. I drive from Cerritos all the way to Valencia where our office is located. Then there is work of actually going to each property and doing inspections. The homes are located all across San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita which requires lots of driving.

I generally sit in traffic 3 hours a day just going and coming back home. So the Prius was a great investment for me. I love it when the car goes into battery only mode in traffic. Knowing you are saving gas because you ARE in traffic is great. Hybrids actually perform better in stop and go driving conditions.

I purchased my Prius for a very reasonable price. I wanted to trade in my Lexus to avoid the hassles of selling it myself, but i got very lucky. I was at the dealership negotiating the price. I asked them to value my car for a trade in and they offered me $4,000. I was like.. wtf. Hell no. Right at that time, I got a text from a private buyer that saw my craigslist ad and asked if I would sell it for $8,000 which was a fair price. Extra $4,000 for a few extra steps? Yes. So I purchased the car by itself from the dealership and then went to meet the buyer and everything was kosher.

Craigslist

I put my Nikon D3100 for sale on craigslist. I realized it sits in the closet for the majority of the year. I just don't need one right now. It's great to have one for those moments when you really do want to take nice photos - but how often is that? Carrying it around is a total bitch too.

I ended up just picking up a Canon SD630 point and shoot off craigslist for $40. And if i want the bokeh effect I can just photoshop it.

I also picked up a Garmin Nuvi50 for $80 brand new from craigslist. I love craigslist. There are some hidden gem deals if you do the search.

I was thinking about buying another onboard Nav/DVD system/deck for the Prius, but the one I want (Rosin) is $850 - and I can't justify spending that much for something that ads little value to the car.

I am also trying to sell all of my coats hanging in my closet that I never wear because they are too big on me now. However, it's summer.. they probably won't sell.

Diet

My mentor is the one that got me into the whole chicken breast diet - but he has been falling off the wagon recently. During July we drank beers, eating pizza, and just totally stuffing our mouths with food we should have avoided. During August, I am trying to get back into the healthy mentality, just like in June. During June when i was eating chicken breasts - I noticed a significant loss in fat; and i could feel myself getting leaner. It truly does work.

Cousin

My cousin Caroline is engaged. Met the fiance this weekend and had boiling crab together. Nice guy - almost reminds me of myself in certain situations. Hope everything works out for them.

-------------------------

And.. that is that. Life has been busy - which keeps me focused. I leave the house around 6-7am and get back home around 9pm. Then I study for my appraiser license. Not much time to screw around.

If you have a goal or a plan, stay focused. Let's all stay focused and look towards the rewards.

Hello Prius!

Goodbye my beloved GS430. The 18city 24hwy mpg u were giving me was too much.. you had to go.

And... Hello Prius!

Wish List: Mac Keyboard

1. I was at my boss's house and got to use one of his Mac keyboards that he uses for his iPad and it's so sexy.



I want one!

2. Then there is the 17" Sager NP6175



I want one!

3. A nice pair of jeans (Diesel / True Religion)



4. New bomber/motorycycle jacket



5. New sunglasses with prescription lenses.

Song of the Day: Miss A (Suzy) - I Still Love You

Wow.. i didn't realize she can actually sing! Her voice reminds me of Tae Yeon from SNSD.

Song of the Day: Psy - Gangnam Style

He went all out on this one. Special guests in the MV, 4 Minute Hyuna, Yoo Jeh Suk, No Hong Chul. Not a bad song.

Le Mis Movie!

My favorite all time musical, Le Miserable is coming to the big screen with big name actors, Russel Crowe/Hugh Jackman/Anne Hathaway. I really hope they dub professionals to sing the actual songs..

Those Darn Kids..

Thank you benogurl for this hillarious link on Facebook. I just had to share it after laughing my ass off.

Unintentionally Inappropriate Test Responses from Children.

This one is my favorite:

Song of the Day: T-ara - Day by Day

15 min. long.. i had too high of an expectation for this. I thought it would be pretty good considering their last attempt during "Lovey Dovey". I had particular interest in Hyomin, but her acting was so bad.. i mean.. really cheesy. The entire MV seemed like it was made by a high schooler.

Song of the Day: 2NE1 - I Love You

The first 40 seconds of the song is catchy.

Song of the MONTH!

I like this song so much, it's the song of the month instead of song of the day.

Kim Jin Pyo - Mister feat. J Rabbit
김진표 - 아저씨 (Feat.제이레빗)

J Rabbit is a new Korean Indie group of 2 girls. I love their voice! One girl plays like a million instruments, and the other is the main vocal. They are the girl version of 10cm.

The lyrics to the song are cute and the beat is really catchy.

Diet Tip #4: Vitamin B-12

I am pretty sure there is a mass number of people around the world that are just tired everyday. That's why energy drinks and coffee has become a vital part of our daily lives. I have been going to work at 6am and coming home at 10pm these days. I am so tired at the end of the day that it's hard to get anything else done (like working out). So in the morning i have been buying a can of Monster for the energy, and it really does work. I didn't have my afternoon crash and wasn't tired until i actually got home. However, the caffeine, sugar, and $2.76 i spent everyday was becoming ridiculous.

Right around that same time, Pae told me that he was taking multi-vitamins with complex b-12 for energy. I did some research on Vitamin b12 - and from what i gather, it's a very good vitamin that the body needs to sustain energy throughout the day. So i ended up buying this:



$44 at Vitamin World. 180 capsules that should last 3 months by taking 2 a day. I'll let you all know how this goes.

나의 사랑 이야기

꼭 내 인생을 바라보고 쓴 노레같아. 역시 이승철.. 나랑 비슽할 경험을 한것 같아. "불새" 라는 드라마가 생각난다. 그 드라마의 ost 노레입니다. "인연".

들으면서, 꼭 가사를 일거봐. 알았지 찌기야?

눈을 떠 바라보아요 그대.. 정말 가셨나요..
단 한번 보내준 그대 눈빛은 날 사랑했나요..
또 다른 사랑이 와도 이젠 쉽게 허락되질 않아
견디기 힘든 걸.. 운명같은 우연을 기다려요
지워질 수 없는 아픈 기억들..
그리워하면서도... 미워하면서도.. 나,, 널.......

너무 사랑했었나봐요.. 그대..
보고싶은 만큼 후회되겠죠 오우오오~~
같은 운명처럼 다시 만난다면...
서러웠던 눈물이 가슴속에 깊이 남아 있겠죠...

날 위해 태어난 사람,그대 이젠 떠나줘요.
힘들어 지쳐도 그댈 그리워하며 살아가요,
지워질 수 없는 아픈 기억들..
그리워하면서도.. 미워하면서도.. 그댈..
난 사랑할 수 없었나봐요 이젠..
그저 바라볼 수 밖엔 없겠죠.
나 살아가는 동안 다시 만난다면
차마 볼 수 없음에.... 힘겨운 눈물을 흘리죠..

나는 정말 그댈 사랑해요...

Song of the Day: Kim Jin Pyo - 미안해서 미안해 (Feat.G.NA)

This is the MC Mong? Sounds so similar. I like this song.

Kim Jin Pyo - I'm sorry that i'm sorry.

Song of the Day: Sistar - Loving U

This is a sudden change in the usual music Sistar does.. anyways. I want Sista19 to come back..

Song of the Day: After School - Flashback

Update on Droid Phone battery life

Battery calibrated, and it's currently at:

Time On: 18 hours
Battery: 70%

This is simply amazing because before when i had froyo with Cyanogen Mod 7 it would be:

Time On: 12 hours
Battery: 0%

There may be a lot of different reasons for the sudden increase in battery life, but can't be sure since i didn't approach this in a scientific manner. Here are some possible reasons:

1. Cyanogen Mod 7 is a battery hater
2. Calibrating battery is good
3. Gingerbread fixed some battery problems in their .605 release
4. Vortex ROM truly does save battery

At this rate, with moderate use, i could go at least 2 days without charging. :)

Long Fish

Found this on Facebook. One of my friends teaches little kids in Korea and asked her students to draw a "Long Fish". This is the 4 year old girl's version of a long fish. What makes this amazing is how innocent she looks while she poses with her artwork. Just look at her eyes, she's so proud of what she drew! Cute.



And another pic from a Kakaotalk chat.



Here's a translation:

"Hey I had fun at your house today"
"Oh, you can come over again anytime. Bathroom brb"
"Your sister is so ugly, she looks like the HULK"
"My brother went to the bathroom, you fucking asshole"

Jason Mraz - Plane (Cover)

My cousin and his friend did a cover for Plane by Jason Mraz. Showing my support. They could probably get a tons of views if it was posted virally on 4chan or reddit lol.

Android Gingerbread 605

For the past year i've been using Froyo on my Android device because at that time Gingerbread didn't have root access. Although it was available amost 9 months ago, i was too lazy and never got around to SBF'ing my phone. However, in the recent weeks i noticed a significant drop in my battery life and wanted something new for the phone.

A few hours of research and voila, i am now rooted with .605 gingerbread running Vortex RC rom. First impression is that the phone seems a little faster, and the battery life is more steady. Before my phone would hit 30% battery and then drop dead in less than an hour, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

Here is an updated list of must have apps:

  • astrid tasks (for those of you who always write your to-do lists)
  • astro file manager
  • audio guru (replaces audio manager)
  • barnacle wifi tether
  • dolphin mini
  • dropbox
  • flashlight (replaces torch, more options like strobe lights)
  • flixter (useful in finding new releases)
  • Go launcher (prob the best home launcher)
  • Go launcher calendar (replaces Smooth Calendar)
  • handcent SMS (replaces stock MMS)
  • google korean kb
  • instagram (used generally for the after effects)
  • kakaotalk
  • music junk
  • mx player
  • stopwatch & timer

Diet Tip #5

Eat chicken breasts.  Its all about animal protein.  For the past 6 months I felt as if I had hit a plateau and couldn't shed anymore lbs.. the scale was actually moving in the wrong direction.  I was counting calories and simply eating rice and noodles to a max of 1500 calories.  That was the problem.  I wasn't getting leaner because my body wasn't taking in enough protein.  Sangchun and Kim Jong Gook have a similar diet consisting of fish and chicken breasts and you can tell it works for them.

A single chicken breast has about 150 calories (10 from fat) and avg of 20-30g of protein.  It will help your body loose the fat and get leaner muscle mass. 

I have tried this diet for only 2 weeks and I already see results particularly around my lower waist and sides.  If you think you've hit a plateau I would strongly recommend trying this out.  My current diet consists of chicken breasts, fish, and boiled eggs.  I do cheat once a week but I try to minimize the effects by exercising an additional hour after a night of binging.

Pet Peeve #1: Inconsiderate People

Taken from the movie "God Bless America"

It doesn't matter how politely i ask them to practice some common courtesy. They are incapable of comprehending that their actions affect other people. They have a complete lack of consideration for anyone else and overly developed sense of entitlement. They have no decency, no concern, no shame. They don't care if i suffer.

People that walk across the street, super slow, even though their time to cross has expired and they no longer have the right of way.

People that drive 55mph on the fast lane and create a mile long traffic behind them.

People that block walking paths talking to other people and not having a care in the world about people trying to pass by.

People who talk on the phone at the movie theaters with no care about others around them.

This is what the world is coming to. Seems like many people have the mentality of "If you can't beat them, join them". Scary what this world will become in 10 years.

America has become a cruel and vicious place. We reward the shallowest, the dumbest, the meanest, and the loudest. No longer have common sense and decency. There is no right or wrong. The worst qualities in people is looked up to and celebrated. Lying, spreading fear is fine as long as you make money out of it.

We lost our kindness, we lost our soul. What have we become? We hold up the weakest in our society to laugh at and ridiculed for our sport and entertainment.

Mistakes

There is no such thing as mistakes. I'd rather call them experiences. Those mistakes (experiences) is what made who you are today. We all make a goof here and there because we aren't perfect, but if we were perfect - there would be nothing to learn. Create plenty of experiences, because that's how you will grow and make you unique.

New start this June

New life opportunity and changes in lifestyle inc.  I'm also going on a diet where I eat just chicken breast/tuna and vegetables.  That singer from Mighty Mouth used this method and was successful.  Other changes on the way but work in progress.. including the sale of my beloved gs430 for a more gas friendly car.

Average working American

When working for someone else.. generally you will try to earn as much money with the least amount of work.  That is your mentality.  Maximizing your personal joy since you don't own the company.  This would include the cashier at Jack in the Box to the corporate exec at Facebook.  However when you work for yourself you try to maximize productivity to increase income.  Working for yourself is the more self satisfying road. 

Song of the Day: Wonder Girls - Like This

OMG. This is too funny

"Please give me cock"
"I want a cock"
"Please.. give me.. Please give me.. COCK"

"Ask the price, how much is this?"

Facebook IPO

Quite the historic day today. Facebook made it to Wallstreet. But i have a prediction - Facebook will phase out in the next 4 years. I've already noticed a trend of kids not using Facebook anymore - and that trend doesn't seem like it's going to stop. Rather, the exact opposite - it's going to exponentially pitfall into oblivion.

That feeling of awckwardness

What i feel like right now. When you are going up the stairs in pitch darkness, and take that extra step thinking there is one more left - and hulk smash the floor with your feet.

Quote of the Day: Timetable

"Don't put a timetable on it, go when it's right"

45683968

기역나니?

TV: Game of Thrones

If you enjoy movies such as Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter - I recommend you watch "Game of Thrones" on HBO. The show is a fantasy series, set on a mysterious land ruled by Kings and Queens. There are Knights, sword fighting, and even dragons.

There were 10 episodes on Season 1, and it's currently on Season 2 episode 5.

Truth about alcohol

"We don't drink it for the taste, to be honest"

LOL.

Bohemian Rhapsody

I was on Youtube and came across a video of a guy in Canada that was being arrested while intoxicated. He sang this song while being transported to the Police station. I searched for the original version by Queen - and ended up loving the lyrics. Particularly, there is a part - "I don't want to die. But sometimes i wish i was never born at all". It expresses what i feel sometimes. I write about this all the time, but it's such a coincidence you find a song that expresses exactly what you are feeling. It just means you aren't alone in your emotions and there are plenty of other people that feel the exact same thing. That's why songs and the artist are such powerful motivators in life.

I don't feel like dying.. but sometimes i really do feel as if it would have been better if i wasn't born.

Song of the Day: Taetiseo - Twinkle

MV is out.. lol. luv it.

Taetiseo New sub group from SNSD

I have high hopes for these 3 girls. The 3 main vocals of SNSD (excluding Jessica for unknown reasons) have branched off to make their sub unit group. With the other girls making variety show appearances and k-dramas, i think this was a good choice of direction for them.

The subgroup name is Taetiseo, which is a combination of each of the girls names.

Taeyeon Tiffany and Seo Yeon.

Good Luck Bronx

These days i've been feeling like the character from the movie "Good Luck Chuck". The movie is about a guy named Chuck who is cursed by an ex-gf. The curse was placed so that every single woman he sleeps with will break up with him and marry the next man who asks her out.

Although it's a bit of an extreme comparison, it seems like everyone around me is tying the knot. OR.. it could just be because people around me are at the age where they want to get married. Heh.. anyways..

If you are a girl, and want to get married - hit me up. I'm Good Luck Bronx.

Ugly Babies

Is there such thing as an ugly baby? Yes. Unfortunately there is. It's also one of those awkward moments in your life when you see a friends kid for the first time and freeze because you don't know what to say.

"Oohhh.. your kid is .. soooooo ... cute *cough*"

When you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all - doesn't apply to this situation. Your friend will take offense if you don't compliment the baby. Lying is the obvious choice, but you have that ningling thought on the back of your head saying, "DAAMN.. this baby is pretty broke in the face."

They do have one good thing going for them though. What i notice is that ugly babies end up becoming really pretty/handsome when they get older. And the exact opposite for cute babies. Just nature taking it's course.

"You're mean!" Is what you may be thinking right now. But stop lying to yourself. You know i'm right. I love babies.. but some are just cuter than others.

Restaurant Review: Athenian Burger

8511 La Palma Avenue
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 523-9999

The best breakfast burrito in the LA area. If you enjoy breakfast burritos you have to try this place. All you need to know is "I'd like a suicide breakfast burrito".




Rating: 9/10

They loose 1 point because they charge $1.50 for debit. I don't think they take credit cards.

Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!

I LoL'ed pretty hard with this one. Someone was creative.

For those of you that have no clue what this is, that's a hologram of 2pac from Cochella 2012 photoshopped with Ghostbusters.

Lack of Updates

Been quite busy lately, and other priorities that just don't give me enough time to write creative new posts.

Apologies to my loyal visitors.

Joe Wong Comedy Skit

Chinese American comedian during the Annual Radio & Television Correspondent Dinner. Pretty clever jokes.

Friends

We generally take things we already have for granted. One of those things are our friends. You will generally never realize this until you've hit a point in your life where you really needed someone to lean on. For me, I am thankful that I have such great friends. It's not a large group, it's a tight knit group that I can rely on and just throw all of my problems and in return receive encouragement.

Don't take your friends for granted. Buy them a drink, and say "Hey i'm thankful you are a part of my life."

Song of the Day: 2AM - Like Me

내 마음이다.



하루종일 니 생각만 하다가
한 가닥 눈물이 멋대로 주르륵 흐른다
걸음걸음 니 모습이 밟혀서
일을 하다가도 나도 모르게 또 흐른다

(우후후후후) 노래를 불러도
(우후후후후) 거리를 걸어도
(우후후후후) 온통 니 생각 뿐인데

너도 나처럼 이렇게 아픈지
너도 나처럼 눈물 나는지
너도 하루종일 이렇게 추억에 사는지 꼭 나처럼
억지라도 웃을 일 참 많은데
태엽 인형처럼 주어진 일처럼 웃는다

(우후후후후) TV를 보아도
(우후후후후) 친구를 만나도
(우후후후후) 온통 니 생각 뿐인데

너도 나처럼 이렇게 아픈지
너도 나처럼 눈물 나는지
너도 하루종일 이렇게 추억에 사는지 꼭 나처럼
매일을 웃으니까

웃는 모습만 보여주니까 내가 행복한 줄만 아나 봐
어떻게 웃어 내가 어떻게 웃어 니가 없는데
웃어도 웃어도 눈물이 또 흘러
너도 나처럼 이렇게 아픈지
너도 나처럼 눈물 나는지
너도 하루종일 이렇게 추억에 사는지 꼭 나처럼

Levitated Mass LACMA

Went to Shin Sen Gumi in Gardena with a few friends, then went to Tapioca Express to pick up my car. However, we ended up getting grounded by cops for 30 minutes, all exits were closed due to a transportation of a big piece of rock.

Apparently it was a big deal. The transportation was reportedly a 10 million dollar project. The trucks were rigged specifically to transport this huge boulder across cities to LACMA (Los Angeles City Museum of Arts). It could only be moved at night, taking specifics routes that allowed for the oversized truck, and can only move at speeds of 8mph.

It also gathered quite a crowd of Art buffs. It was sheer coincidence to see this piece of rock moving through the streets because they had to take apart power lines and traffic signals to make room for the trucks.

Levitated Mass by artist Michael Heizer is composed of a 456 foot long slot carved into the earth, over which is placed a 340 ton granite boulder. As the viewer descends through the monumental slot, the boulder appears to rise.

Through Heizer originally conceived of Levitated Mass in 1968, he only discovered an appropriate boulder decades later, in RIverside County, CA. At 340 tons, the boulder is one of the largest megaliths moved since ancient times.

Levitated Mass speaks to the expanse of art history, from ancient traditions of creating artworks from monolithic stone to modern forms of abstract geometries and cutting edge feats of engineering.

For more information visit lacma.org/levitatedmass.

Movie Review: The Blind Side

If you like football you will want to watch this movie.

It came out back in 2009, but I just recently watched it. This is a true story about the life of Michael Oher, who is the offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens. There was some good acting involved and a touching story.

Rating: 9/10

Song of the Day: 10cm - Hug Me

Ping Pong

I remember when i first played the game, i didn't enjoy it. Now that i think about it, that was probably because i sucked at it and couldn't return any of the volley's. Time passed and there was a ping pong table at my old job and i used to play during lunch with a co-worker. As i started to learn how to play, it became more enjoyable - and now i like ping pong.

Yesterday, Pae and I played for 3 hours at a local place we found in Fullerton near Imperial and Harbor. $5/per person for 1 hour, or $9/per person for all day. It was a great workout. Will def. do it again. Anybody else like ping pong?

Dream High 2 Fail

Ugh. Bad casting. Bad acting. Not so great story line. It's so bad I'm not going to bother writing a full review. Bottom line, don't waste your time watching it.

Incentive

Every creature needs an incentive to perform tasks.

Every horse needs a carrot.
Every mouse needs cheese.

Have you ever done something with out an incentive? Have you ever done something that didn't benefit you in some way? Even if it was to help a friend, your incentive would be their gratitude. We sleep because we are tired, we eat because we are hungry, we work because we need the money, and we do things because it makes us happy.

On a side note there many some good movies coming out soon.

5/4: The Avengers
5/25: Men in Black III
6/29: GI Joe II
7/3: Spider Man
7/20: Batman THe Dark Knight Rises
8/3: The Bourne Legacy
12/31: Superman: Man of Steel
5/3/13: Iron Man 3

Can't wait for May.

If I was 10 minutes earlier..

Ever wonder what would have happened if you were 10 minutes early or late? Today I was working out late at 24 Fitness and decided to take 10 minutes in the sauna before going home. Right near the 605 and 91 there was a major car accident that seemed like happened only moments before i got there. There was 1 car on fire, and another car totally smashed on the side of the freeway. I thought to myself, "that could have been me if i didn't go in the sauna"..

Soon after, on a relatively busy intersection I saw 2 foxes crossing the street. So random.

Song of the Day: FT. Island - Severely

너없이 못사는 바보인대 어쩌라고.. 언제쯤은 이즐까..

어떻게?

넌 그럴수 있니? 어떻게 그렇게 사니? 메일 자신한태 거지말 하면서. 아닌거 다 알거든. 니마음 다 알어. 불상하다. 화가 난다. 짜징난다. 카카오로 알려조.

Movie Review: The Help

A powerful movie with a slight comic relief. This movie is set during the civil rights movement and shows the life of maids in the US. Great movie.

Rating: 8.5/10

Song of the Day: 10cm - I Die!

V-day ended. This feels like a perfect song. Luv it!



Lyrics:

어떻게 해야 할지 몰라 웃질 않아도 아름다와 바라만 봐도 너무 좋아 죽겠네
코를 골아도 듣기 좋아 냄새가 나도 향기로와 씻지 않아도 너무 빛이 나서 죽겠네

이러다 정말 미쳐 돌아 버리면 어쩌나 이러다 진짜 숨이 덜컥 멎으면 어쩌나
그대의 눈가에 눈곱이 내게는 It's so nice, so nice, so nice
그대의 스타킹 뜯어진 구멍도 It's so nice, so nice, so nice

일분일초가 보석 같아 싸울 시간이 나질 않어 사랑만 해도 시간이 모질라서 죽겠네

이러다 정말 미쳐 돌아 버리면 어쩌나 이러다 진짜 숨이 덜컥 멎으면 어쩌나
그대의 잇몸에 김 가루 내게는 It's so nice, so nice, so nice
그대의 가슴이 충분치 않아도 It's so nice, so nice, so nice

어떻게 해야 할지 몰라 웃질 않아도 아름다와 바라만 봐도 너무 좋아 죽겠네
죽겠네

Translation:

I don't know what to do
You are beautiful when you don't smile
I like just staring at you
I feel like dying

I like your snoring
You smell great even if you have BO
You shine even if you don't shower
I feel like dying

What will i do if i really go crazy
I may just die out of breath

Your eye booger It's so nice, so nice, so nice
The hole in your stalking It's so nice, so nice, so nice

One second of every minute is a gem
There is no time to argue
There isn't enough time to love
I feel like dying

What will i do if i really go crazy
I may just die out of breath

Seaweed in your teeth It's so nice, so nice, so nice
Your small breasts It's so nice, so nice, so nice

I don't know what to do
You are beautiful when you don't smile
I like just staring at you
I feel like dying

Restaurant Review: Palsaik Samgyupsal Korean BBQ

Palsaik Samgyupsal Korean BBQ
863 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 365-1750

If you like Korean pork, this place is right up there with Honey Pig. The meat was delicious and the service was spot on. The only drawback was the $13 soju bottles which i think is overpriced.



For $40 you get 8 slices of the pork marinated in 7 different flavors.

spicy chili
garlic
herbs
wine
ginseng
curry
original
*forgot the last one

I've read some other reviews recalling an hour long wait, but we went on a Friday night and sat down within 15 minutes. Definitely worth a try - particularly if you are coming to LA for a visit.

Waiting patiently as i salivate for the meat the cook




On a completely off topic.. have you guys seen Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks play ball? I wrote about him back in Oct. 2010 when he was signed by the Warriors. He didn't get much playing time, then got sent to the Houston Rockets. Rockets waived him, so he was picked up by NY, only to be sent to the D-League for 2 weeks. None of the teams gave him a chance. Unfortunate luck came his way when injuries sprung NY - and the PG's couldn't perform. Mike D'antoni just ended up giving Lin a chance by playing him for 45 minutes - and Lin dominated.

Now they won like 4 games in a row. GG.

Song of the Day: Ailee - Heaven

This Youtube sensation has come out with her first album. I remember watching her videos and thought she was pretty good. She has an amazing voice and range. Hope she doesn't end up being "one hit wonder".

Patriots win the super bowl!

Oh wait.. NOT! Nice game. I loved the Giants touchdown at the end with the Running back trying to stop.. and lands on his back. It was a WTF moment. I originally picked Pats as the favorite like so many others.. but Eli strikes again with his mysterious 4th quarter drives. I thought Eli was a fluke.. just getting lucky with throws, but when someone does something repetitively - it's not a coincidence. The man has skills. Giants deserved the win.

World Champions. New York Giants.

SNSD - On Letterman

I like the remix. I'm glad Snoop didn't make a guest appearance for the english remix. He would have stolen the spotlight. They did a good job, even though it was partially live.

Kpop in the States, Prediction

Beno recently posted an article on his Facebook titled, "Does Korean Pop Actually Have a Shot at Success in the US". I thought it was an interesting read and the author spent a great deal of time researching past Asian artists that tried to make a debut here in the US. I think he should have focused mainly on Korean artists, but he mixed in Japanese history in the article (but who can blame him.. he lives in Japan). There have been other Korean artists that attempted a run at the US market, such as Kim Bum Soo with his English single of "Memory" and S7ven. Both failed.

His article concludes with a few marketing grips regarding the three girl groups currently working on their US debut (Wonder Girls, Girls Generation, and 2NE1). He lists WG's as the favorite to make a breakthrough in the US market while giving GG and 2NE1 unfavorable forecasts. I strongly disagree with his assessment.

Here's what i think. There are three criteria's that must be met.

1. Audience
2. Marketing/Branding
3. Music/Popularity/Swag

Audience is particularly important because that's how you know what to do for #2 and #3. Boa and others failed IMO because they never reached a clear audience or demographic. Was it tweens, Asian Americans, high school kids, or young adults? Males or females? Audience also makes up your customer base. They will be the ones buying your music on iTunes and CD's - so it's vital to choose correctly.

This is why it's so hard for Kpop to break through in the States. About 30-40% of the audience in the US are White. 10-20% are Black. Asian Americans make up only about 5-10% of the market in the US. So you need to get White kids to listen to your music, especially little girls. And folks, that's the brick wall in front of us. Why? Cuz what do little white girls like? Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber.

But Bronx, in Europe Kpop is spreading like wild fire! Partly true. It was exaggerated by the Korean media. Kpop is a nice hit in Europe, but they aren't Americans.


Marketing. Spending money to make money. If you look at some of the artists here in the US and how their popularity sky rockets in a single month - you can truly appreciate the power of marketing. If not already, the Korean labels should get 3rd party professional help with their US marketing.


Swag, style, popularity, and music. In other words, the artists themselves. Can they sing? Do they have the right music to sing? Are they stylish?


My conclusion is that it's too early for Kpop to branch out in the states. USA is a proud country. Music produced and sang by Americans will always trump others. When an Asian American wins American Idol you can prove me wrong.

The right thing to do would be to stay in Asia. Maybe make some English songs collaborating with Snoop Dog once in a while. But don't make an album, make a TV movie, or open concerts for the Jonas Brothers.

Even if i blabber on and on, the 3 girl groups will be making their way into the US this year. So what's my prediction?

Wonder Girls will fall flat. JYP just needs to stop investing so much money on them. They don't have the audience and popularity to make it. Sorry WG's.. should probably quit while you can.

Girl's Generation will make some money. They have the attention of most healthy males in the US. They certainly have the looks and swag. They have already received millions of Youtube hits and have 2 English speaking Korean Americans. What they lack right now is the right music. If they were to create a hit single with the right beat and lyrics... the possibilities could be endless.

My #1 pick in terms of which girl group has the best chance at bringing Kpop to the US is 2NE1. They have the swag. Popularity based on Youtube hits and Hollywood stars talking about them. Pretty much every song they've produced - i could see hints of Western culture embedded inside. The beats are dope, but what worries me is the fact that anytime Koreans try to make a song in English.. it's broken English. Get rid of the Korean fob accent. Make a #1 hit single. Put it out on the radio. Let it ride.

Racism on TAM Airlines

Re-posting this from G+. Don't know the original author, but it's worth sharing.

This happened on TAM airlines.

A 50-something year old white woman arrived at her seat and saw that the passenger next to her was a black man.

Visibly furious, she called the air hostess.

"What's the problem, ma'am?" the hostess asked her

"Can't you see?" the lady said - "I was given a seat next to a black man. I can't seat here next to him. You have to change my seat"

"Please, calm down, ma'am" - said the hostess
"Unfortunately, all the seats are occupied, but I'm still going to check if we have any."

The hostess left and returned some minutes later.

"Madam, as I told you, there isn't any empty seat in this class- economy class.
But I spoke to the captain and he confirmed that there isn't any empty seats in the economy class. We only have seats in the first class."

And before the woman said anything, the hostess continued

"Look, it is unusual for our company to allow a passenger from the economy class change to the first class.
However, given the circumstances, the commandant thinks that it would be a scandal to make a passenger travel sat next to an unpleasant person."

And turning to the black man, the hostess said:

"Which means, Sir, if you would be so nice to pack your handbag, we have reserved you a seat in the first class..."

And all the passengers nearby, who were shocked to see the scene started applauding, some standing on their feet."

R.I.P. Bronx

Dead.

Song of the Day: Jo Jang Hyuk - Addicted to Love

The original singer of this song teamed up with the lead vocal of 4Men. I think it would have sounded better with another rock vocalist.. but good anyways.

Change is good right?

Well new years has passed, and i originally didn't make any resolutions. But, the more i thought about it - i received an epiphany, revelation, realization, inspiration, or whatever you want to call it. I think everyone goes through something like this, when they just know it's time.

My time has come, and i'm still in the process of sinking it into my skull. Hope everyone is having an excellent 2012 so far. If you've made any resolutions hope you're sticking to it. Let's all encourage each other!

Song of the Day: Fat Cat - Is pretty everything?

Pictures from New Years

During New Years, my sister and her husband came to visit and we hit up Redondo Beach and San Francisco to visit some friends. All the pics are on my Picasa, but here are a few.

항상 옆에 있어주는 사람

‎"화려하지 않아도, 항상 옆에 있어주면서, 떠나지 않을 사람... 앞에서 생색내면서, 떠드는 사람보다, 뒤에서 조용히 챙겨주는 그런 사람..."

Carlton Dance

Those of you born in the 80's know Will Smith as the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. You will also recognize Carlton, the corky cousin. His dance was famous back in our days - and here's a clever video.

Kim Jong Min.. acting or just real?

I can't remember the last time i laughed so hard. I think i was cracking up for a good 10 minutes non stop as i replayed this clip. Just so you have some background, the clip is from a Korean variety show called "1 Day 2 Nights" - and the two playing the game is Lee Seung Gi and Kim Jong Min. They are both returning cast members of the show.

Lee Seung Gi is considered a boy genius as he is good at almost everything he does except for cooking. Kim Jong Min is considered pretty odd. His brain works differently than others - UNLESS.. it's all an act. I'm still not convinced his like this in real life.

The game they are playing is called "I am Ground" or "Strawberry game". Each person picks a fruit name and then calls on another fruit with the specific number of times they have to say the fruit name. Each time the fruit name is spoken, it needs to correspond with the motion count they do with their bodies. The number can be between 1 to 8. Ugh.. confusing right? Hard to explain.

Anyways, it's a pretty stressful game since you have to use wits and timing to get everything right. For those of you who've played the game before will get a really good laugh out of this.

Lovey Dovey dance along

I'm out of breath just watching these girls shuffle for an entire 3 minutes non stop.

31

It's official.

I am 31. It also started off with a BANG. So much to do these days, yet so little time. I have particularly been neglecting this blog and i apologize if that has ruined anybody's daily entertainment. I still can't believe i wrote over 200 blogs last year. Not sure if i can keep up with that pace 2 years in a row.

My lil cousin has this cool little talent with beat boxing. We may make some funny videos and post them up later.

I forgot to mention, but i watched the new Sherlock Holmes movie and it was pretty good. I was spoiled my Mission Impossible, hence my rating will be 7/10. Def. worth watching though. Robert Downey Jr. is my fav. US actor. Also, there is a TV show in UK called "Sherlock" that is a spinoff the same Sherlock Holmes that Downey Jr. portrays. Each episode is 1 hour 30 minutes making it sorta like a mini movie. If you haven't already, go to EZTV and download it. Season 2 episode 1 was particularly good.

Ever catch yourself talking in an un-ordinary accent after watching something on the tube? After watching Sherlock, i started speaking with an English accent for about 30 minutes and i couldn't stop. Lol.

Everyone make some new year resolutions? I didn't. I generally am not able to keep them, so I decided to just be happy on a day to day basis. #1 on the list is shopping. A really nice pair of jeans and a winter coat are in order.

I took a bunch of pictures during Dec. Jan. that are sitting on my SD Card. I hope to share them soon. So far 2012 has been good. No major dramas. However, no drama = no blog = sad visitors.

I will conclude this post with a short joke.

A man asks his friend "What kind of girls do you like?"
His friend replies, "I like German girls"
The man asks, "Why?"
The friend replies, "Because they are gutentite"

Song of the Day: T-ara - Lovey Dovey

Like! Worth the 20 minutes.

Happy 2012!

Dang, i missed the new year post by 1 hour. December was a rather crazy month. Sister came over from Milwaukee with her husband, and my uncle (dad's younger brother) passed away and had to drive up to San Jose for the funeral.

2011 wasn't the greatest year, but there were many memorable moments including my trip to Korea. Hopefully 2012 will be even better! Life is what you make of it, which means memories won't just create themselves. My new years resolution is to be more proactive in making great memories.

I hope everyone was able to have a safe and happy end of the year.